CHOOJIAHUI / OCTOBER 25, 1994 / CBOX / (JIAMING)

YAY IM BACK! No jetlag though, cause its only 3hours time difference. Though i woke up at 7:40 this morning, i dont know if it means anything. Okay, i will go on about my holiday and make Marie Chong DAMNNNN jealous xD just a note, i will definitely post about the England trip. TOO!

3/12/2006
We went to pick my dad up after his standard chartered half-marathon. By the way, winners for both half and full marathon were Kenyans(sp?). But yeah, they ran in like, perspiration-less! And they didnt look ONE BIT TIRED! Man, these people are magic. But they win the Standard Chartered marathons EVERY YEAR. Spent pratically the whole day packing. Flight was supposed to be at midnight. But it got delayed and it was changed to 2am. Still went to airport at 10plus.

4/12/2006
Arrived in the morning, wasnt that early. Though i caught some sleep, the un-earthly hour caused me to only watch two movies (Step Up, Monster House!). ARGH. Damn, such a waste. Then took a flight from Sydney to Gold Coast. Rented a car at the airport for four days. Just went around and explored. And we got a nice apartment! Its modern-ish. And i TOTALLY love their tv channels! There's this channel called Comedy Channel and we would switch on the TV before leaving the apartment and immediately after we reach home! YES its so nice. I mean, they show double episodes of 'Whose Line Is It Anyway?' which is so smartly hilarious! Those people are geniuses! This is the SPECTACULAR view(beach included) from the room on the 20th floor! (:


click on it for a bigger picture.

5/12/2006
ITS OFF TO THEMEPARKING, MOVIEWORLD! (DreamWorld will be later on, supposed to have more thrill rides but we still enjoyed MovieW more! (((: ) And i definitely cant do this part without the pictures!



LOOOOOOOOOOK, just LOOOOK at that! Its called the Superman Escape! The whole view! LOOK AT HOW BLEDDDY STEEP THE DROP IS! By the way, the black tower next to it is the Batman Tower(the gravitational drop!) which was supposed to be ready by SUMMER 2006! Which is now, but it wasnt ready. ITS SO NICE AND THRILLING, though i got such a bad scare that i didnt take it for the second time. My parents took for the second time, while my sister did three times! But the force was so strong that my head was flung left and right and people kept asking one another if they were still intact when we all came out. And i couldnt even open my mouth to scream! Actually, i dont think i had time! We queued up for like, 40 mins? And the ride was only 1min or less. Around there. And my dad was being so ego saying 'erh, please wake me up when the ride is finished'.

Then the carriage was supposed to be this MRT. Cause when we were boarding there was doors that would open then you walk through and step into the seats. And the MRT so called broke down and there was this recording with 'Superman' saying 'NOT HERE! THE TRAIN'S GOING TO EXPLODE!' and you will hear this 'booam' at the back. Then the whole thing stopped and he said something about the whole thing exploding and the last sentence was 'THERE'S ONLY ONE WAY OUT, I'LL PUSH YOU.' And i was like 'DAMMIT we're going out! AHHH.' Then there was this steam thingy, and the next thing happened in seconds. Though it seemed like eternity when we were dropping :\

SEEEEEE THE VIDEO HERE!!! And sorry cause i starting video-ing it a little too early. Then coaster will come out when you hear a 'SSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS', which is the steamy thing. And it doesnt look that fast from the video, but when they got shot out of the hole for the second time, i took the close-up so you can see the real speed.

More pictures captured!




Then we headed off to the performance where the looney tunes characters were! OHMYGOSH PORKY PIG WAS SO DAMN ADORABLE! He was dressed in this sporting attire and he was squating down while the others were fooling around, HE IS SOOOOO CUTE!

Then we went to take this Scoody-Doo Spooky Coaster, which looked so un-scary. Majority of the day was spent queueing up for the rides, so we didnt take alot. When we finaly got into the little cart that was bringing us around, my sister and i were being so sarcastic 'we have to give them face, better scream' XD then we went in and we started 'oooing' HAHHA. But then it sort of came to an "end", cause we stopped behind this other cart with another family. Then there was this creaky sound and we were on this 'lift' and transported to the 'second floor' and without warning the stupid thing just shoots back and we fall backwards. Its like a slope and you're going down but backwards. It was so unexpected! Then we started going round in loops. Not exactly loops, but the cart will go in a straight line, then it will u-turn and it was so narrow so we kind of got swung to the sides when it was u-turning. It surprised me cause i really thought it was those wake-me-up-when-we're-done kind of ride :D

And we went to watch the 4-D Shrek show. It was quite nice. Before it started the lady that was incharge was like, 'Before we start, we need you to buckle up your seatbelts that will be found on your left hand side.' And everyone started digging between the chairs trying to find the seatbelts. Then three minutes later she said 'Just so you know, they are invisible seatbelts.' And everyone was like 'erhhhh..'. And she started laughing and said 'Hah, im so funny. Aren't i? Yeah, im so funny.' RIGHT. The show was about Lord Farquar coming back as a spirit and wanting to take Fiona away. Then Shrek and donkey jump on to the carriage and went to chase after one of the 'slaves' that grabbed Fiona away. Then the chairs started shaking real hard, like we're on the carriage. And when donkey sneezed there was actually water spraying onto our faces and everyone was like 'UGGHH'.

Then we headed on to the parade(i'll upload the pictures in imagestation, soon) were all the characters were! And i saw batman and the BIG 'TANK' in Batman Returns. SO REAL. And catwoman and her whip. And Austin Powers and some weird little car that had flags that wrote 'Groovy Baby'. And Shrek and Fiona. And the mystery machine with the characters of scooby doo! And the looney tunes!

Then we went to take the Wild Wild West. It was the water-coaster! You will fall from this very high opening and the whole 'carriage' will go down and when it becomes horizontal all the water will spray up and you will get damn wet.

So we went on it, and it was eight people for a 'carriage'. And ours had all the asians! In front of my sister and i were these two korean boys which were around 9 or 10. And when we were queuing up we saw how wet the people got we asked them if they wanted to go in front and they said YES quite quickly. So yeah, i dont think they knew what was in for them XD And behind us was my parents, and behind them was a singaporean couple(i think). SO WE WERE HIKI!(thats the asian tribe in survivor!) And my sister and i planned to duck down when it was falling so that we wouldnt get wet in front. The log just moved so slowly throughout the whole time. And we kept going up and up. And then we turned. And all we saw was NOTHING. Yes, no track in front. So we immediately ducked down and then the whole log went down and the water all splashed up, and we got up. Then everyone was so wet except for us. Only our backs were, and it was only droplets of water XDD then we got out of the log and we were walking out and the korean boys were in front of us and they kept saying 'OH. MY. GOD.' and it was so funny! XDDD cause they got so drenched!

And it was the Roadrunner! YAY MARIE! Our BELOVED group last year! (((: Yeah the ride was not scary but just took it to complete ALL THE RIDES in the themepark.

And then my dad and sis went for another round of Superman Escape. It was my sister's third time and my dad's second time. I waited with my mum under the shelter. Then suddenly we heard this roller coaster that WAS NOT Superman Escape, and we turned and we saw the top of Lethal Weapon! Its the ride that we wanted to take at first but they kept saying they cant get the thing to work and it will only be fixed at around 5. SO YAYYY! Then minute they were done we all headed for the Lethal Weapon! Sorry, no pictures taken cause the roller coaster was quite covered with the graffitied barriers. It was right at the back so it was covered.

And Lethal Weapon was the best ride! XDD YESSSS, definitely. It had FIVE SOMERSAULTS, YES, FIVE FREAKINNGGGGG SOMERSAULTS. It was so darn fun! and when the coaster started it just kept on going higher and higher and higher and it was so damn cold up where we were, then within minutes we went through the five somersaults. IT WAS SOOO GOOOD. I would have went for a second time if it wasnt the last ride of the day.

Most stalls and places close at 5pm in Australia. Its like, quite standard. Working hours are 9am-5pm. 8hours only! Okay, this post is so freaking long and im only through one of the themepark days. Ooops.

6/12/2006
DREAMWORLD!

The very first ride was THE CLAW! WAHAHHA. It was so fun! we went about 135degrees! YEAH it was so fun! It was like viking cause we were swung left to right, but much much higher. But we were sitting in a circle so the thing rotated while we got swung. YESYES, MUCH FUN!







Then we went to the WIPEOUT! The pictures will be in the imagestation album though, cause i didnt take a picture of it. But my dad did. It was so nice! I LOVEEED THE WIPEOUT. The whole thing gets swung in circles up and down, and as they swing you the whole seating lever will start going round in somersaults. So you'll get really giddy. That was only the front. Then the whole thing just stops up there for very long. And before you know it, the two levers(left and right, one on each end) that supports the whole thing starts turning in opposite directions! So we get swung diagonally upside down! Okay, its fine if you dont get it. Its complicating and i dont have a video either :\ but it was so fun! Our legs got swung all over the place!

Then it was the VORTEX! It wasnt much of a thrill ride. You go into this spaceship looking thing. Then it will start spinning really really really fast and the pressure is so strong and you will get stuck on the walls. And we started climbing up the walls and we wont fall down cause the pressure is so strong! But when it slowed down everyone fell onto the floor -.-

Then we went to the CYCLONE! It wasnt as exciting as i expecting though there were two somersaults. And it had the Superman Escape concept, you have to go through doors to get into your seats. My mum didnt want to take the ride cause she said it was no thrill. The rides became gelat for her already, though it was only the fourth ride. But i cant say, since my parents have been to both MovieWorld and Dreamworld before. And she was telling us all about this Economics subject that we will learn in JC, The Law of Diminishing Order. Wah, she said it SO OFTEN!

Anyway, the queue was so long. And it was so hot cause its like a tower that is covered up. And the queue goes in circles and goes higher. Yeah, so it took quite long. Then when it finally got to our turn, the doors wrote 4 each. So my father went with another group which only had 3 people and this two angmoh boys came to join my sister and i. And one of them looked at my sister and ask 'you scared? gonna cry?' And the NOOO+DIAO look my sister gave was so obvious. When we got off she was complaining 'AUNTIE DOWN HERE OLDER THAN THEM AH WHAT GOING TO CRY?!' HHAHA.

Then we went to the next ride.

Lo' and behold, its the TOWER OF TERROR!!! It pumps your adrenaline in just 15 seconds! YESSSS, freaking quick. This is not the drop. Its like a car that sits 15 people. And the cars speeds of FREAKING QUICKLY and the kinetic energy received converts to gravitational potential energy, causing the car to go upwards until no more energy is left! It goes up, up, up and pause for a milisecond, and falls back down this time depending on gravity!!! And we got speed back to where we started. AHHH. Yes, the whole thing only took about 15 seconds. Imagine how fast it is. The horizontal track was about 200m, and we went about 150m up into the air. ALL IN 15 SECONDS approx! SO NICE. Did i mention, the queue took about 50 mins. Huge contrast to the ride.

And last but not least *DRUMROLLLLLL* we took THE GIANT DROP!!! The queue too, was very long. 30mins plus. I dont think i have to explain the Giant Drop. Its pretty obvious and give yourself a few slaps if you have NEVER HEARD OF IT! We got brought up to 38storeys high and we could see the scenery of Gold Coast. It was so nice! And they hang you up there for freaking long to gain gravitational potential energy until you get kind of bored. And all of a sudden they drop you back down and it only took LESS THAN THREE SECONDS! Yes, i counted! 2seconds plus ONLYYYY. When we were dropping down all our legs got flung up! YES. Great ride to end the day!

7/12/2006
Went to walk around the whole day and packed a little for Blue Mountains.

8/12/2006
Headed off to Katoomba! Yeah, GREAT NAME! Sounds so aboriginal and stuff! XDD We took a flight back to Sydney and rented another car then drove to Katoomba, where Blue Mountains are! And we stayed in this motor inn. It was nice and cooling. But honestly, the carpets and beds looked a little un-welcoming :\ Sight-seeing for two days that were spent in Blue Mountains. Beautiful sights, really. And its not really COLD, but its REALLY windy and its the wind that makes you all chilly. The temperature was about 20degrees plus so it was normal. Being mountains, its windy i suppose. But even though Blue Mountains might have the same temperature as Singapore, its more cooling. Cause it has very low humidity, but it also causes lots of bushfires. We went hiking and many places were cordoned due to the bushfires.


Went to Echo Point, which is the best place for sight-seeing. And we did a little bit of hiking. But there were lots of steep steps which were quite uneven so it was quite difficult.


Spectacular view of 'The Three Sisters'. It looks like those pictures taken on the postcards! So i guess the photographers came to Echo Point..?

9/12/2006
Did MORE sight-seeings. And then we drove to Megalong! NICENICE PLACE WITH LOTSA HORSES! Okay, minus the shit that was all over the ground. Seriously, trust me, its ALL OVER. We took the 1hour horse ride and we ALMOST got to go as a family alone when a bunch angmohs joined in last minute. And my horse was called Tinkerbell(??!!). DAMN. Of all names!!!! But i loved my horse! She was so pretty! But she is the smallest there, so i rode on her. Mind you, NOT PONY OKAYYYY. HORSE, H-O-R-S-E. NOT PONY! Ponies are for children aged 3-9years old, 10 minutes round the lake -.-

So i went right behind the guide! HAHHAHA. That meant im the leader of the pack! How hilarious. But the guide needed to pull Tinkerbell(i realllly dont like the name) when we started trotting. Walking was much easier. Trotting is like a jog or something. Not gallop lah, TROT. We all werent secured properly so ours asses all hurt at the end of the whole thing. If they made the horse gallop, i would have flown off! I like my sister's horse's name! She's called Huey (pronounced hew-wee). Cute name ((: but the horseriding was fun! Again, minus the shit and flies.

10/12/2006
Drove to Sydney! Yes, SYDNEY! The beautiful city, just like Prague. But yeah, its so nice. Its so wow-ing seeing the Sydney Opera House FOR REAL than seeing it in postcards! And the Sydey Harbour Bridge too. Too bad we didnt climb it. But it was still beautiful. When we reached we went to return the car. And we took a train to the Circular Quay, the MRT station which is close to the Opera House. And the concept of the train is so cool. Its seperated into two levels. When you walk in, its just a single storey, like the MRTS in Singapore. But on your left and right, there will be staircases that leads you up and down. So its very space saving!



Trust me, this is the EXACT picture you see in sightseeing books/postcards/websites/television/etc. This is the REAL THING. It reallly beautiful. And it doesnt serve any effect even though i posted the picture. You have to BE THERE to see it. And walked about 5km around the harbour to see Mrs McQuarie's Chair. Dont know who that is, but its Lord McQuarie's wife. DUH. But, i also dont know who he is. He carved the chair from stone for her so that she could sit there and look at the sea. Ohyeah, and the picture above was taken while we were walking along the harbour. Thats the only way you can catch BOTH the Harbour Bridge and Opera House.

And we saw the chair. Yeah, a chair. Made of stone. Nothing else. 5km. Good exercise, let's just call it.

And our feet were so sore. SERIOUSLY SORE. We walked out of the trail and across the road. And then our saviour, we saw a Sydney Explorer bus stop! YAY! So we went across. And i almost cried man. We missed the last bus by 10mins. LAST BUS. Oh damn. So we had to walk MORE. And went back to the apartment.

11/12/2006
Another day at Circular Quay. But we were water-based. Went on a JetCat to go to Manly, which is on another side of Sydney. And we just walked around and looked around. And we caught a ferry back to Circular Quay. Then had lunch, and we went to take a 2 and a half hour cruise ((: Pretty cool. Saw many POSH houses along the way which overlooked the sea. And costed about 20million. EASILY.

12/12/2006
Went to Bondi Beach. It was FREEZING. Not literally, but yeah. STRONG WINDS. And we climbed onto a cliff. And it was so cold up there. Beautiful waves ((:





13/12/2006
Went to the wildlife world. And i FINALLY saw kangaroos and koalas! They were so cute!! But the kangaroos were babies. They cant contain an adult kangaroo. But it was really cute.





Flight back was nicer (: i watched 4movies! Little Miss Sunshine. Superman Returns. You, Me and Dupree. And Scoop, starring Scarlett Johansson! ((: And i watched two episodes of Project Runway and The Family Guy xD yay.

***

Yay i love MaryAnne cause she says that the people in Singapore misses my whackiness. HAHAHA. Okay nevermind. I hope this post wasnt too long and grueling for you all! ((:

And JiaMing is a happy fat ass cause she's going VJ for the first three months! Erh, yay?